Longtime Harvard-Westlake girls basketball coach Melissa Hearlihy retires
Melissa Hearlihy, who has the second-most wins in state history for girls basketball, is retiring after 39 years of coaching, Harvard-Westlake announced Monday.
Hearlihy coached at Harvard-Westlake for 24 years and last season led the team to a CIF state title.
“My career has been so full of meaningful relationships with colleagues, student-athletes and families that words cannot do justice,” Hearlihy said in a press release. “Dedicating my professional career to high school has always been with the goal of developing young girls into confident and determined young women giving them the opportunity to find success on and off the floor. I am leaving with great love for my extended basketball family and the communities I’ve served.”
Hearlihy began coaching at Harvard-Westlake in 2000 after leading Alemany to three CIF Southern Section titles in 15 seasons. This past season, she guided the Wolverines to their first CIF state championship since 2010 despite having a .500 win percentage heading into the game.
@haleymsawyer Harvard-Westlake girls basketball won a CIF State championship
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In her tenure with the program, Harvard-Westlake won two state championships, four CIF Southern Section championships (two in the Open Division) and nine Mission League titles.
She ends her career with 839 victories, which is second in state history for girls basketball behind Mater Dei’s Kevin Kiernan (900 wins), and has helped 18 Harvard-Westlake student-athletes reach the college level.
“Melissa Hearlihy has been such a mainstay in the growth of girls basketball in Southern California,” UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close said. “We are so grateful in essence at USC and UCLA, at least, and we benefit from some of the trails that she has blazed. Really excited for her next chapter but also want to say thank you for all that she’s contributed to the game.”
The school did not announce a replacement for Hearlihy.